Change-speed gear.



mmwmm V. LA-NGIA. CHANGE SPEED GEAR. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 4, 1912.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

v. LANG IA. CHANGE SPEED GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,1912,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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V. LANGIA.

I CHANGE SPEED GEAR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1912..

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

s MEETS-SHEET 3.

HE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTOLITHOH WASHINGTON D. C.

VINGENZO LANCIA, OF TUBIN, ITALY.

CHANGE-SPEED GEAR.

mas er.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FatentedFeb. 1165, 19115..

Application filed June 4, 1912. Serial No. 701,643.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Vmonnzo Lenora, a subjectof the King of Italy, residing at 'llurin, in Italy, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Change-Speed Gear, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the change of speed inmotorcars, more particularly applicable to those types in which thechange speed gear,

' being mounted on the rear axle, is caused to oscillate with the latterabout a transverse. axis situated in the front portion of the car, at agreater or less distance from the engine. In this case, the memberstransmitting to the change speed box the movements of the lever arrangedwithin reach of the driver, must be connected to the driving shaft insuch manner as to follow the oscillations of the latter, consequently anordinary control of the said members could not be used without runningthe risk that, owing to the oscillations of the rear axle, the posi tionof the speeds would change independently of the will of the driver.

According to this invention, between the arms controlled directly by thechange speed lever, and the corresponding connecting members is arrangedsuch a connection or coupling that the position of the said connectionrelatively to the gear does not change even during the greatestoscillations of the rear axle, and consequently of the driving shaft. Aconstruction of the controlling means, applied to a change speed gearwith two direct drives controlled by connecting members inside thedriving shaft, is illus trated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically in side elevation thearrangement of the levers. Fig. 2 shows in sectional plan, on anenlarged scale, the front end of the driven shaft and of the connectingmembers. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the cross-spindle and operatinglevers, Fig. 4: shows in plan, the guide for the operating levers, andFigs. 5 and 6 are respectively longitudinal section and front elevationof the member used for throwing the operating lever into gear with thearm connected to one or the other of the connecting members. Figs. 7 and8 are similar views of the clutch sleeve for the control. of oneconnecting member, and Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a lever for thecontrol of the other.

As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the tube or radius rod 1 secured tothe change speed gear box 2 which is secured to the rear axle of thecar, is mounted so as to be able to oscillate about the axis wm, inorder to allow of the oscillations of the rear axle to which it issecured. This tube 1 contains the driving shaft 3, within which are arranged the two concentric connecting members 4 and 5 adapted to operatethe toothed wheels of the change speed gear. The front end of the memberor rod 4 is connected by means of a pin 6 passing through twolongitudinal slots 7 provided in the shaft 3, to a collar 8 operatedfrom the outside by means of a fork 9 passing through the slot 10 of thetube 1. In the same way, the front end of the rod 5 is connected by apin 11 passing through two longitudinal slots 12 of the shaft 3, to acollar 13 operated from the outside by means of a fork 14 passingthrough a slot 15 of the tube 1. Each of the forks 9 and 1 1 isconnected to a rod 15 or 16' (Figs. 1 and 2) which, at its other end, isprovided with an intermediate member or bracket 170 which is pivoted at17, to a rod 17 or 17, and the latter is in its turn pivoted at itsother end tothe arm 18 or 18 mounted on the cross-spindle 19.

The rods 16 and 16 connected to the forks 9 or 14:, are provided with anordinary ball stop such as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the arms 18 or 18can be operated by the lever controlling the change speed gear, in thefollowing manner: On the cross-spindle 19 (Fig. 3) pivoted in thebearings 20 of the longitudinal members 21 of the chassis and to whichis secured the lever 22 used for manipulating the brake, is mounted a.tubular sleeve 23 secured to the change speed lever 24 which, as inordinary constructions, is guided in a gate 25 (Fig. i). This tubularsleeve 23 is provided at its other end with a part 26 provided insidewith teeth 27 (Figs. 5 and 6) by means of which it can engage the teeth28 of a sleeve 29 secured by the tube 30 of the arm 18, or with theteeth 31 of the head 32 of the arm 18. It will now be understood that,by shifting the lever 24 laterally, that is to say, along the axis ofthe spindle 19, which can be effected by means of the gate 25, the saidlever can be coupled either to the arm 18 or to the arm 18', in order tooperate the rod 5 or the rod 4:. By turning-the lever 24 on its pivot,the two arms 18 or 18 are rotated, and consequently, by means of theconnecting rod 16 17 or 16 or-17", the movement required to bring thecorresponding pinion of the change speed gear into or out of engagement,is transmitted to the forks 9 or 14. By examining Fig. 1, it will beclearly seen that in that way the movements which the tube 1 and thedriving shaft with the control tie rods mounted in its interior, mayexperience owing to the oscillation of the rear axle, cannot affect inany way the position of the forks 9 or 14-, that is to say, they do notproduce any change in the position of the pinions, owing to the axis a:00 about which oscillates the rear axle, being near the point 17 aboutwhich oscillate the rods 17 and 17 (see position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1). The connecting members for the control of the change speedgear could'be arranged outside, instead of inside, the driving shaftwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as mv invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is1.' In controlling mechanism for motorcar change-speedgears mounted onthe rear axle of the car, a hollow driving shaft mounted in a tube andpivoted at the front of the car, means for controlling the change speedgear arranged insidesaid shaft and oscillating with'it, a cross shaftarranged behind the forward end of said means, arms depending from saidcross-shaft, means pivoted to said arms and'to the correspondingcontrolling means for connecting them with each other, and means foroperating the cross-shaft.

2. In controlling mechanism for motorcar change-speed gears mounted onthe rear axle of the car, a hollow driving shaft mounted in a tube andpivoted at the front of the car, a rodfor controlling the change speedgear, saidrod being mounted inside said shaft and oscillating with theshaft, a fork engaging said rod, a bar connected to said fork and.guided ina sleeve solid with the tube surrounding the shaft, said barextending to a point near the center of oscillation of the driving shaftand controlling rod, a cross-shaft mounted behind the forward end ofsaid bar, an arm depending from the cross-shaft, a connecting rodpivoted to said arm and to the end of the bar, and means for operatingthe cross-shaft.

3. In controlling mechanism for motorcar change-speed gears mounted onthe rear axle of the car, a hollow driving shaft mounted in a tube andpivoted at the front of the car, a plurality of rods for controlling thechange-speed gear, said rods being mounted concentrically inside saidshaft and oscillating with the shaft, a plurality of forks, eachengaging one of said rods, bars connected to said forks and guided insleeves solid with the tube surrounding the shaft, said bars extendingto a point near the center of oscillation of the driving shaft andcontrolling rods, a cross shaft mounted behind the forward end of saidbars, arms depending from the cross-shaft, connecting rods each pivotedto one of said arms and to the end of the corresponding bar, and meansfor operating the crossshaft.

4. In controlling mechanism for motorcar changespeed gears mounted onthe rear axle of the car, a tube containing the driving shaft secured tothe gear box and pivoted at the front of the car, a hollow drivingshaft, rods in said shaft for controlling the change speed gear, barsengag ng said controlling rods, each bar being guided in a sleeve solidwith the tube and extending to a point near the center of oscillation ofthe shaft and controlling rods, 2, cross shaft mounted behind theforward end of said rod, arms depending from. said cross-shaft and rodspivoted to the end of each arm and to the forward end of thecorresponding connecting rod, and means for controlling the cross shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VINGENZO LANCIA. Witnesses JOCELYN GounnYnAN, CARLO TORBOT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

I Washington, I). G.

